US5129551A - Automatic dispensing system for liquids - Google Patents

Images

Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
  • B65B3/00—Packaging plastic material, semiliquids, liquids or mixed solids and liquids, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
  • B65B3/04—Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
  • B65B3/10—Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles by application of pressure to material
  • B65B3/12—Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles by application of pressure to material mechanically, e.g. by pistons or pumps
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F33/00—Other mixers; Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
  • B01F33/80—Mixing plants; Combinations of mixers
  • B01F33/84—Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F35/00—Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
  • B01F35/80—Forming a predetermined ratio of the substances to be mixed
  • B01F35/83—Forming a predetermined ratio of the substances to be mixed by controlling the ratio of two or more flows, e.g. using flow sensing or flow controlling devices
  • B01F35/834—Forming a predetermined ratio of the substances to be mixed by controlling the ratio of two or more flows, e.g. using flow sensing or flow controlling devices the flow of substances to be mixed circulating in a closed circuit, e.g. from a container through valve, driving means, metering means or dispensing means, e.g. 3-way valve, and back to the container
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
  • B05B1/30—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages
  • B05B1/32—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages in which a valve member forms part of the outlet opening
  • B05B1/323—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to control volume of flow, e.g. with adjustable passages in which a valve member forms part of the outlet opening the valve member being actuated by the pressure of the fluid to be sprayed
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B7/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent materials from two or more sources, e.g. of liquid and air, of powder and gas
  • B05B7/02—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge
  • B05B7/08—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with separate outlet orifices, e.g. to form parallel jets, i.e. the axis of the jets being parallel, to form intersecting jets, i.e. the axis of the jets converging but not necessarily intersecting at a point
  • B05B7/0807—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with separate outlet orifices, e.g. to form parallel jets, i.e. the axis of the jets being parallel, to form intersecting jets, i.e. the axis of the jets converging but not necessarily intersecting at a point to form intersecting jets
  • B05B7/0846—Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge with separate outlet orifices, e.g. to form parallel jets, i.e. the axis of the jets being parallel, to form intersecting jets, i.e. the axis of the jets converging but not necessarily intersecting at a point to form intersecting jets with jets being only jets constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B9/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour
  • B05B9/03—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44D—PAINTING OR ARTISTIC DRAWING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PRESERVING PAINTINGS; SURFACE TREATMENT TO OBTAIN SPECIAL ARTISTIC SURFACE EFFECTS OR FINISHES
  • B44D3/00—Accessories or implements for use in connection with painting or artistic drawing, not otherwise provided for; Methods or devices for colour determination, selection, or synthesis, e.g. use of colour tables
  • B44D3/06—Implements for stirring or mixing paints
  • B44D3/08—Implements for stirring or mixing paints for liquid or semi-liquid paints
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F2101/00—Mixing characterised by the nature of the mixed materials or by the application field
  • B01F2101/30—Mixing paints or paint ingredients, e.g. pigments, dyes, colours, lacquers or enamel
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01F—MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
  • B01F23/00—Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
  • B01F23/40—Mixing liquids with liquids; Emulsifying
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
  • Y10T137/7722—Line condition change responsive valves
  • Y10T137/7781—With separate connected fluid reactor surface
  • Y10T137/7835—Valve seating in direction of flow

Definitions

• This invention relates to dispensing systems for liquids and for suspensions, such as paints, having liquid carriers.
• liquids and suspensions will hereafter be referred to collectively as liquids.
• the paint manufacturer is faced with the perennial problem of supplying to its customers many different coloured paints and usually more colours than the manufacturer can as a practical matter keep in stock.
• the problem is especially acute in the supply of paint for vehicle refinishing, that is to say in the supply of paint for respraying vehicles, for example, a crash repair.
• the difficulty is that vehicle manufacturers supply their vehicles in many different colours and in subtly different shades. Even for a given make, model and colour slight variants can arise between the exact colours of particular cars because of variants in the batches of paint used in manufacture.
• commercial transport operators often wish to respray their vehicles in their own distinctive liveries. As a result, the number of paint colours in use is extensive and may be as high as 30,000.
• Paint manufacturers succeed in providing the large number of colours called for by a method of blending.
• a number of basic or standard colours are produced that usually contain a single pigment but may contain a major proportion of one pigment and a minor amount of another sufficient to produce the standard colour.
• a typical standard range will contain from 20 to 50 basic colours which can be blended to give thousands of other colours.
• the refinisher or refinish paint supplier is in the position that it needs to stock between 20 to 50 colours only depending upon the particular range of paints that it wishes to supply.
• the refinisher In order to match the cars the refinisher repairs, the refinisher must mix these paints very carefully and very accurately against a formula or mixing scheme which is supplied by the paint manufacturer.
• the mixing scheme will set out the proportions of basic colours which have to be mixed to match the exact colour of the particular make, model and colour variant of the repaired car.
• An alternative way is to move the valves to always position the valve which is about to dispense above the centre of the container.
• the machine has a huge crescent shaped carriage on which the valves are mounted and this carriage swings around in a great arc in order to position each of the valves above a container.
• the valves swing by such a large amount (several metres) the pipes leading to the valve have to be flexible.
• the degree of complexity that would be introduced if one had recirculation within these flexible pipes is so immense that the requirement of recirculation has to be omitted.
• the object of the invention is to provide an automatic dispensing system having recirculation and whose dispensing valves are of such design that they can be made sufficiently small to be grouped together over a target container as small as 1 liter to provide the typically required number of basic colours for blending without having to move the container.
• a liquid dispensing system comprises a circulating path for the liquid to and from a reservoir, means for pressurising the liquid to cause it to circulate around said path, a first valve means controllable to divert the liquid from the circulating path to a dispensing nozzle and a second valve means past which the diverted liquid flows, the second valve means being biased to a closed position and being openable by the hydraulic pressure of the liquid to permit the liquid to be passed through it to the nozzle.
• the first and second valve means need not be positioned adjacent each other but could be interconnected by a liquid feed line.
• the second valve means can be designed as a relatively slim valve and does not have to carry bulky actuating means. Consequently a relatively large number of them can be disposed close together for feeding paint into a target container.
• the bodies of the plurality of second valve means are arranged as a group to form an inverted conical shape with the nozzles directed towards the apex of the cone.
• the target container at a filling station is arranged so that the apex of the cone lies on its vertical axis and within the container.
• FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one dispensing system in accordance with the invention
• FIG. 2 shows in central section the general arrangement of the dispensing machine of the system.
• FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of the dispensing valve used in the system, the valve being illustrated in its closed position.
• FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the dispensing valve in its open position.
• FIG. 5 shows to a larger scale than FIG. 2 an elevational view of a plurality of the dispensing valves grouped in conical formation above a target container
• FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the plurality of dispensing valves.
• the basic dispensing system for a single colour paint is shown in FIG. 1 and comprises a recirculation loop 1 around which the paint is continuously circulated under pressure by a pump 2 from and back to storage tank 3. Disposed in the loop 1 is a three-way control valve 4 which can be selectively operated to divert paint from the loop 1 into branch line 5 to dispensing valve 6 and from there into a container 7 (FIGS. 2 and 5).
• the dispensing machine itself comprises an inner casing 8 within which is disposed a pedestal 9 for supporting the paint container 7 at a filling station.
• the pedestal 9 can be replaced by a transporting conveyor which periodically stops when a container is at the filling station to allow the paint to be dispensed into it.
• the upper end of the pedestal 9 constitutes a weighing scale 10 for weighing the amounts of paint fed by the valves 6 to the container 7.
• An outer casing 12 surrounds the inner casing 8 and within this are disposed a series of the three-way valves 4 corresponding in number to the maximum number of basic colours to be dispensed by the machine.
• Each of the valves 4 has a respective pneumatic actuator 13.
• a respective branch line 5 leads from each valve 4 to a respective dispensing valve 6.
• Each of the valves 6 is of a slim elongated tubular design with a nozzle 14 at its lower end through which the paint is ejected into the container 7. From an inspection of FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 it can be seen that the valves 6 are arranged in an inverted conical formation with the nozzles 14 directed towards the apex of the cone, which lies within the container 7 and on the central vertical axis 15 thereof. In this particular example there is a group of thirty-seven dispensing valves 6. To provide the conical arrangement of the valves 6, they are mounted in respective bores of a common mounting block 16 which is supported on the top of inner casing 8. In FIGS. 5 and 6 are shown the position which two different sized containers referenced 7a and 7b would have relative to the nozzles 14.
• a valve stem 18 is slidable in an outer elongated tubular valve body 19 and is biased by spring 20 to a closed position in which the conical valve member 22 at the lower end of the stem 18 is urged into engagement with conical seat 23 at the nozzle 14 to close off outlet nozzle orifice 24.
• the valve stem 18 has a central bore 25 which terminates at its lower end in transverse bores 26 and 27. The upper end of the bore 25 provides a liquid inlet to the valve 6 and connects with one of the feed lines 5.
• paint flows along the feed line 5, through the bore 25 and out of the transverse bores 26 and 27 into the annular space 28 within the interior of the body 19 between the valve stem 18 and the lower part of the body 19.
• the valve stem 18 is provided intermediate its ends with a piston formation 29 which is a close sliding fit in the upper part of the body 19.
• the periphery of the piston 29 has two ⁇ O ⁇ rings which provide liquid-tight seals preventing paint escaping upwardly past the piston 29.
• the weighing scale can be interfaced with a computer which controls the actuation of the pneumatic valves 13 to close off the paint supply to the container when the predetermined weight of paint has been delivered.
• a computer which controls the actuation of the pneumatic valves 13 to close off the paint supply to the container when the predetermined weight of paint has been delivered.
• valves there are thirty-seven dispensing valves, this number is to some extent arbitrary but arises from the geometric pattern shown in the plan view of FIG. 6 where one valve is at the centre, six in the next ring twelve in the next ring, eighteen in the next ring and so on. It is not necessary to have each valve the same size though this is naturally convenient. It could be that one or two or more valves are of a larger size for a particular application. For example, the centre valve may be very much larger than the others and used to supply the white paint which is normally required in larger quantities.
• valves 6 are as previously stated mounted in a machined block 16.
• the advantage of the particular construction and arrangement of the dispensing valves as described is that they can be made by automatic machining processes and are therefore low cost items which are simply popped into the mounting block and secured with a clip. This is a very important feature in use, since any maintenance problems can be very quickly dealt with by changing a valve rather than repairing it.
• valves on the market for use in paint blenders appear to have been influenced by the design of automotive poppet valves as used in most motor cars.
• this type of valve the valve stem or the male member moves away from the end of the valve body outside the valve body in order to open.
• This is an advantage in automobile engine design since the shape of the valve when open helps to spread the gas and the fuel charge around the cylinder.
• this type of valve is used for dispensing paint it has a definite disadvantage, since the paint is directed into a divergent flow pattern which can cause excessive splashing. Equally if the valve does not open absolutely concentrically then one can get a jet of paint emerging preferentially from one side of the valve. This is not a trivial problem and indeed several examples are on the market where this phenomena presents itself and causes a considerable nuisance.
• the controlling area for dispensing the paint is the area of the nozzle orifice.
• a convergent i.e. conical nozzle is required and therefore the actuated part i.e. the valve member must move inwards of the valve body towards the wider part of the cone.
• the design is carefully tuned so that the annular area 32 between the conical valve member 22 and the valve body 19 on the valve stem is equal to the area of the nozzle orifice 24 when the valve is in the position shown in FIG. 4.
• a feature of the design is therefore that the minimum overall area is achieved throughout by very careful matching of areas so that no part of the valve is bigger than it actually has to be in order to match other parts of the valve.
• valves are of simple conical shape and they are all directed towards the intersection of the X and Y axes shown in FIG. 6.
• angles of the cone are compounded such that one could, if one wished, promote swirl by arranging the valves in a conical pattern, but aimed at some point off the centre of the container when viewed in plan.
• valves 6 can open by anchoring the stem 18 and allowing the valve body to move downwards relative to the valve stem.
• anchor the valve body can choose to anchor the valve body and permit the stem to move.
• valves do not need mechanical actuation at all.
• the valves are designed to be actuated by the hydraulic pressure of the paint. Thus there are very few moving parts in the valve and very little to go wrong. Since it is so simple it is very cheap to make.
• valve is very unlikely to leak when it is supposed to be closed.
• pressure is still on the valve after the valve has closed and any small imperfections in the seating face will cause a leak.
• the closing mechanism is simply one of falling pressure. In other words when the end of the dispense is reached the actuated three way valve is positioned so that paint flows back to the tank, the pressure drops in the line leading to the valve and the valve closes. Thereafter there is very little that can happen to cause the valve to leak.
• a further feature of the design of dispensing valve is that when closed the valve has the absolute minimum possible surface area available for paint to dry upon. Secondly as the valve closes it tries to expel the remaining drops of paint which is different to the other valves where the closing of the valves tends to splash paint on to the body of the valve. If paint is allowed to collect on the bottom of the valve it can build up and eventually form stalactites and in any case it is a nuisance since it can cause contamination. The most practical way to limit contamination is firstly to prevent the paint sticking there in the first place and then to limit the surface area such that if paint does stick there it is very small and minimal amount.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Nozzles (AREA)
• Accessories For Mixers (AREA)
• Coating Apparatus (AREA)
• Safety Valves (AREA)
• Processing And Handling Of Plastics And Other Materials For Molding In General (AREA)
• Confectionery (AREA)
• Feeding, Discharge, Calcimining, Fusing, And Gas-Generation Devices (AREA)
• Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
• Spray Control Apparatus (AREA)

Abstract

Description

Claims (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Parent Applications (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10613588

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (13)

Cited By (36)

Families Citing this family (36)

Citations (20)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 1987
  • 1987-03-09 GB GB8705482A patent/GB8705482D0/en active Pending
• 1988
  • 1988-02-19 GB GB8803954A patent/GB2201947B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-02-19 DE DE8888301400T patent/DE3870291D1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-02-19 EP EP19880301400 patent/EP0283137B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1988-02-19 ES ES88301400T patent/ES2030853T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1988-02-19 AT AT88301400T patent/ATE75165T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1988-02-23 NZ NZ22360388A patent/NZ223603A/en unknown
  • 1988-02-23 AU AU12052/88A patent/AU591832B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1988-02-23 ZA ZA881259A patent/ZA881259B/en unknown
  • 1988-02-25 CA CA 559860 patent/CA1329926C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1988-02-29 ZW ZW1988A patent/ZW1988A1/en unknown
  • 1988-03-09 CN CN88101288A patent/CN1011774B/en not_active Expired
  • 1988-03-09 JP JP63053881A patent/JPS63236526A/en active Granted
• 1990
  • 1990-05-22 US US07/526,684 patent/US5129551A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (20)

Non-Patent Citations (4)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events